Regional Offices of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) have intensified operations against high value targets in their respective areas of responsibility.
Past midnight of May 4, 2011, elements of PDEA Regional Office 12 Special Enforcement Unit (SEU) conducted a buy-bust operation against two (2) notorious pushers in the vicinity of Purok Islam, Brgy. Dadiangas South, General Santos City.
A report submitted to PDEA Director General Undersecretary Jose S. Gutierrez, Jr. identified the arrested suspects as Alibai Labturan y Guiamadil and Tato Amino y Laguialot. Both were included in the Watch List of drug personalities in General Santos City.
Labturan was apprehended after handing over two (2) heat-sealed plastic sachets containing suspected shabu to a poseur-buyer. Also recovered from him were various drug paraphernalia and the 500-peso bill marked money. Amino, who was arrested half an hour later, yielded two (2) plastic sachets of suspected shabu and the buy-bust money.
Meanwhile, on the same day, operatives from PDEA Regional Office 4A implemented Search Warrant No. 11-17729 issued by Hon. Judge Ma. Theresa Dolores C. Gomez-Estoesta, 1st Vice Executive Judge, RTC Manila at Unit B, Lot 1, Blk 26, Phase 3, Mabuhay City Subd., Paliparan III. Dasmariñas City, Cavite.
Arrested during the operation were two suspects, identified as Virginia Martinez y Siongo and Nasser Manalocon y Pompo. They were under PDEA’s tight watch prior to their arrests. Confiscated from them were three (3) plastic sachets of suspected shabu. They are now facing charges for violation of Section 11(Possession of Dangerous Drugs), Article II of RA 9165 or the “Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002”.
According to the PDEA Chief, PDEA Regional and Field Offices nationwide have stepped up their intensified campaign against street level pushers while closely monitoring individuals in the Agency Watch List, in accordance with the shift in PDEA’s operational thrusts.-30- Derreck Carreon, PDEA